MLB notes: Marlins welcome next manager Guillen

The Ozzie era has begun for the Florida Marlins. Hours before the final game in the stadium they're leaving, the Marlins formally introduced Ozzie Guillen as their manager for 2012.

"We're very excited," Guillen said at a stadium news conference Wednesday. "It's a big, big step in my career, a new chapter. Hopefully I can bring energy, flavor and enthusiasm, but the most important thing is a winning team."

The announcement carried little suspense. Guillen's Web site leaked the news late Monday that he had agreed to become the Marlins' manager, and he tweeted Tuesday that he was in Miami and "ready to go."

The Marlins are staggering to a last-place finish in the NL East. With the team moving to a new ballpark and making a push to become a contender, owner Jeffrey Loria wanted an experienced manager, and he hired one of the game's most colorful personalities. "I think we can turn it around next year," Loria said.

Be the first to know.

No one covers what is happening in our community better than we do. And with a digital subscription, you'll never miss a local story.

In his final game as the Indians' bench coach amid a battle with Parkinson's disease, Tim Tolman took over as acting manager Wednesday night following Manny Acta's first-inning ejection. The 55-year-old Tolman says he was diagnosed with the disease two years ago. Tolman expects to remain with the organization in an unspecified role. "I think there's some slowness of movement involved that doesn't allow me to do some of the things that I want to do," Tolman said.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative brain illness that causes problems including tremors, rigidity and slow movements.

White Sox hitting coach quits

White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker resigned after nine seasons, the latest change in a hectic week for the disappointing team. The former Chicago slugger said he told owner Jerry Reinsdorf a month ago he planned to leave after Wednesday's regular-season finale.

"It's just the right thing to do. It's time to go," Walker said Wednesday. "Somebody else's turn.

Short hops

■ Chicago's Adam Dunn, who needed six plate appearances in the final game to finish with the worst qualifying batting average in modern big-league history, sat out Wednesday's season finale. He finished with a .159 average in 496 plate appearances, had a club-record 177 strikeouts and hit only 11 homers with 42 RBI after signing a four-year, $56 million contract.

■ Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, who hit 43 homers and finished as the major home run league champion in back-to-back seasons, wasn't shy when asked who should be the AL MVP. "If I couldn't vote for myself, then Miguel Cabrera," he said of the Tigers star.

■ Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan rejoined the team Wednesday for the final game of the regular season after missing more than a month to tend to his ailing wife. Duncan's wife, Jeanine, is recovering from surgery on Aug. 21 to remove a brain tumor.